Nuts Cafe Trip - A Not So Crazy Night Out

12th August, 2010 - Tonight was a bit of a special night for us... we were having one of our fairly infrequent date nights which have been very difficult to organise since L-kun. Still, grandparents can be a life-saver in many respects. Tonight we were heading into the city to visit a great little cafe known somewhat Japanesey as Nuts Cafe Trip. Don't ask me why.

First off, it was off to the city by train, arriving into Sapporo Station, which is a great place to start any evening (can do a spot of shopping, or indeed, can even find somewhere to eat up on the 7th floor of Daimaru). Sapporo Station may lack some of the architectural pop of Kyoto Station, but it's a well integrated station and perhaps a little less controversial.

There are a few nice architectural touches however... like the elevator mechanism exposed almost as one might do a grand-father clock or watch. Actually - it also reminds me a lot of a pipe organ (but from memory, no tunes get created out of this elevator).

Public transport is big in Japan... but so are taxis. A form of transport that is perhaps often overlooked by tourists. And when faced with a sea of taxi's, it's perhaps not surprising. One day... one of these days - the signal will be given and the revolution will begin. And I can't say that I've seen too many "eco" taxi's in Japan... unlike the move to changing the fleets to hybrids that I've seen elsewhere in Australia. I wonder if that's true elsewhere in Japan?

Although it was summer... in Japan that can mean quite stormy weather. This night looked a little ominous... and we were prepared for some rain - like we'd been caught in previously.

The cafe can be found by just a short walk east of the main Sapporo Station exit.

View Sapporo Map in a larger map

The doorway's a little non-de-script, but just look for the big ball up above with Nuts Cafe Trip written on it. Once through the door, it's up the appropriately "what the..." stairway to the first floor (noting that Japanese count the ground floor as the first floor, unlike in Australia where the first is always above the ground floor).

And voila... you're here.

Perhaps because I was still getting used to the new DSLR Canon camera... or just the fun of being out in an adult environment (no, not that kind of adult environment...). I just couldn't resist taking photos of just about any old thing. And those bottles did attract my eye.

And just to show that I'm not totally insensitive to the needs of my wife...he says, making sure that no one thinks that I would order a cocktail for myself...

Actually, the think I like about Japanese cafe's is they often have a very good feature or style that can capture the imagination. I know it's totally off the wall, but I can't get out the feeling of being in the famous Liverpudlian club, the Cavern (of Beatles fame).

And we had quite a nice meal there too... but I only took a photo of an absolutely scrumptious pizza. And of course - pizza in Japan seems to be synonymous with Tabasco Sauce. Back home in Australia, I don't think I've ever seen anyone put Tabasco Sauce on pizza. It's funny how tastes differ. I can honestly say we had a wonderful meal and can thoroughly recommend this place.

The ambiance was fairly simple in the main area - however I believe they've re-modelled the decor. The interesting story was that as we left the cafe, I was taking a few photos of place (with blog in mind), when I noticed the table of foreigners (gaigokujin) on the right were looking at me as if I had two heads. I always sort of wondered why I was getting that attention. Are foreigners so rare in Sapporo that any new faces were a source of much curiosity... or was it the more likely answer that they all felt that "here's another totally hopeless tourist... [cringe]... how embarrassing". I will never know, and perhaps for my own ego's sake, I may not want to.

The other thing to mention is that the cafe has a wonderful lunch set... and cheap to. You might not get full on the amount, but the taste and variety is good. If you're in that neck of the woods, check it out.

Otaru....Sapporo's (Double) Date Spot

11th April, 2009 - Now Otaru is a short drive from our house, and it also happens to be one of the major "touristy" places in and around Sapporo... so we've been here many times before (like here and here). So I've  written about Otaru a lot... but that shouldn't stop me writing again... should it? Now... a reminder of where Otaru is... if you catch the JR Hokkaido line it will cost you around 620yen and take about 30 mintues from Sapporo Station.

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So here we are again in Marchen Square (don't ask me why it's called that)... this is the centre of activities but  it actually lies to one end of the main shopping street, Sakai-machi. The reason we were here... a double date - but more of that later.

The Otaru Orgel Doh stands in the background

One of must-see places is the Otaru Orgel Doh, which is a magical place that just sells Orgels, or music boxes of all (and I mean ALL) shapes and sizes from the very small to the HUGE (and very expensive). Now, if you're like me, you most probably not a big time fan of music boxes - I mean, lets face it, who other than pre-teen girls have music boxes?

Well... apparently a lot of people. And the variety that you can see here (and this is just a small fraction of the shop) indicates a life-long job that for serious collectors. The great thing about the shop is that even if you're not into music boxes, you can still enjoy the amazing sensory assault delight that is the Orgel Doh. 

Actually - no camera's allowed... but...

And - yet another plug for LeTAO le Chocolat cafeteria, also in Marchen Square. Don't forget to grab a free sample on the way past.

The good thing about a lot of Japanese places for the foreign tourist is that the sporadic use of English makes it slightly easier to guess what's going on. Actually, this cafe was one that we had enjoyed on our first trip and is worth a look inside (at least it was). It's a little bit touristy, but for Otaru that's par for the course. Grab a coffee and relax after looking at all of those music boxes.... it's just across from the Otaru Orgel Doh.

Well, the main reason we were in Otaru was because older T-chan's brother (H-kun) had come back to Sapporo with his girlfriend... and soon to be fiance (S-chan). Now, we're actually going to go over to Japan in the next few months to  attend their wedding in Tokyo, and a little closer to the day, we might do a bit of a story on H-kun... but for now, let's leave the two lovebirds alone... And Otaru is a good place for lovebirds to spend time alone in. Especially for a daburu dēto... a double date. Ooooh - how exciting.

Speaking of lovebirds... here's a nice family shot of just me, T-chan (mystery woman as usual) and our lovely son...er... T-chan, did we leave L-kun back at the Ampanman shop by any chance?....

Actually, the building style is quite different in Otaru, heavily influenced as it was from early European influence - and there remains a strong presence of especially Russians in and around Otaru. I've never been to Otaru in the middle of a snowy winter, so I can't really say what it would be like. I know a lot of people have complained about how cold it can get, but I suspect that's pretty well anywhere in/around Sapporo outside the underground shopping during a snow storm. However, during Spring / Summer / Autumn it's a beautiful day trip from Sapporo.

There are also a lot of very nice cafe's in Otaru (as well as the overly touristy ones)... here's a nice little cafe that H-kun introduced us to, called Uminekoya.

This is a reasonable walk from the "tourist strip", and this cafe/restaurant is reasonably popular in Otaru. Especially for the exquisite and atmospheric buidling.

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Their meals are fairly Italian in style - and I had a very hearty stew. Whilst stews are not the first thing I think of when I think Italian, it's not really what you would think of when you say stew. Very yummy - and as the day was actually quite cool still, it was a nice warm-you-to-the-bones meal. They do all sorts of curries, but principally they do Pizzas, Pastas, meat dishes, salads... and if you're interested, check out the menu (and yes they also do "couple plans" for that romantic lunch/dinner). Our experience was that it was a nice place to sit down and relax. Personally, it's atmospheric, but for me not that romatic (this is a little too country rustic for a date, and the service isn't particularly brilliant). Still a good place to go and enjoy a different experience.

Well - the day was spent, like most days to Otaru, enjoy the canals, enjoying looking at music boxes, Ghibli-esque toy store called Yume no Oto, visit the many sea-food places (Otaru has some of the best fish-cakes you can buy) , and of course glass shops...and more glass shops. There's definitely a lot of walking to be done. Sometimes you just need a good sit down and relax... you never know who you might meet. Hmmm - it makes me wonder, where do statues and sculptures go for their holidays?

And there's always a great drive back (if you have a car) to Sapporo, there's always the nice (if a little dark) views across Ishikari Bay, and the still snow capped peaks along the coast. So overall, it was a very nice place for a double date, and we'll most probably see a little more of H-kun and S-chan over the next few trips I suspect - and Imight even formally introduce you guys on the blog (properly)... ?;-)

Off to Otaru for a Spot of Romance

 27th October, 2003 - Today we're off to Otaru.... the place to go from Sapporo. You can get to Otaru by either train (catch the JR train which runs on the half hour, and costs about 620 yen) or by road (either the toll-free road or the tolled Sasson Expressway which will cost about 1200 yen). 
Today T-chan and I are driving her Sera... 


Otaru has a strange relationship with Sapporo... it's about 37 km (~40 min) drive away (with the inevitable tunnels), and is often seen as the "romantic destination" for couples in Sapporo...

...but it's also where some of the outlets can be found (and hence cheap shopping), and as such it's a bit of a strange blend of attractions... but as such, there's something in Otaru for everyone.

Today we're at a small restaurant (called Fisherman's Harbour) that sits on the western edge of the Otaru harbour (Ishikari Bay)

The view over the water is nice... but then again, it's not exactly Sydney Harbour either.  Actually this goes to the whole feel of Otaru. Otaru started off as a trading port and fishing port. A job that it still enjoys... even though it no longer has the role of being a major import/export hub. That's gone to places like Ishikari and Tomakomai... we'll discuss Tomakomai more a little later on.

Otaru is semi-industrial, semi-commercial, and semi-historical. And it's very very hilly.... indeed one of the mountains looming over Otaru is called Tengu-yama (a tengu is a mischievous mythical creature in Japan with a red face, and a very long nose...)

Otaru is still famous for it's canals - or should I say canal as there really is only the one preserved canal remaining. It is however very picturesque, and almost impossible not to photograph.

That has a distinctive old world charm.... just ignore the apartment buildings crowding in from across the canal... Actually Otaru is one of those places that looks attractive no matter what season.

There's a lot of shops in Otaru... to be honest, most of the popular ones are related to the glass industry (for which Otaru is famous within Japan) and music boxes of all things. We went to a lot of these very attractive shops (yet no photos - sorry - you will need to wait to later trips to see them). Yet there are others shops to browse in, even if they are a little less distinctive... hmmm who's that over there...?

Astro Boy (or Tetsuwan Atomu in Japan) welcomes weary travellers over to the shop. The other two are just content to sit back and (rather creepily) take it all in.

This shop for example had a lot of collector memorabilia from 60-70's USA.... as well as your typical touristy knick-knacks. T-chan and I enjoyed our time browsing around here. Actually there's a lot of variety in Otaru, and you can spend a long time just wandering around. Unfortunately I think this shop's been converted into parking... *sigh* that's progress for you.

There is a strange fusion of old and...hmmm... how to say it... bad taste(?) in Otaru. Was that a bad pun?

Next time I might talk about the glass industry and the sorts of things you can buy here.

Yet the heart of Otaru is still strong with it's victorian character infused with a good dashing capitalist zeal. It's definitely a nice day-trip from Sapporo - and one that we've done on a few occasions now. And yes, it's a nice romantic place to visit. Don't have too high expectations, and you won't be disappointed. Actually, Otaru was featured (sort of) in a famous Japanese movie, Love Letter. Thoroughly recommend it!

As a an aside, on the way back from Otaru - if you're driving... I'd definitely recommend making a detour to visit Asari Dam. Not least of all for the really funky "UFO bridge" by which you climb to get to the dam wall itself. The photo here doesn't do it justice, as it circles around and around, and you feel precariously spinning higher and higher. Not good for the faint hearted... but worth while to get to the top. We came here at night, so the views were less than spectacular, but this is also a great place to see the autumn colours.

Just turn inland along the Asari Onsen Dori... which (as the name of the road suggests) also takes you to the local onsen as well. Truly, the roadworks in Japan are fantastic in scale... ok, they may not be up to the US super-highways, but they're a work of art and efficiency. Er... how far are we from Tengu-yama?... there's an eeriness about this place... and T-chan swears that she's met a Tengu back when she was twenty years old. I am happy for them to remain mythical please. Let's go!

It was a big day, and T-chan took the chance to catch up on some Z's. Actually, we had decided not to bring T-chan's Sera back to Australia; rather T-chan decided to sell it to her friend's (T2-chan) brother. This is a good deal for all as he gets a cheap car, we avoid having to pay for the scrapping of the car. This is a hard decision for T-chan however....    lots of tears. T-chan loved that car.

She's dreaming of her Sera...